There is a possibility for serious injury to occur in certain types of plumbing, for example, a person could be scalded by water which suddenly becomes extremely hot, and methods are sought by which the danger of these situations can be eliminated.
For example, it is estimated that every day about 300 young children are taken to emergency rooms throughout the country suffering from burns from household water that is too hot. As a result about 3,000 children annually are injured seriously enough as to require hospitalization.
These dangers are not limited to children, but are also a problem for the elderly and those who suffer from diabetes and other disease that reduce the ability to sense temperature changes.
Water temperatures that water heaters are set for can cause third-degree burns in about 2 seconds at 150.degree. F. and in about 5 seconds at 140.degree. F. Children can be burned more quickly because their skin is more sensitive.
The problem is not limited to water lines, but occurs wherever hot fluid is being conducted through pipes, including some industrial processes.
Accordingly, it is a main object of the present invention to provide such a valve which has a shut-off mechanism so that the fluid supply pressure is quickly shut down whenever the fluid becomes too hot.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety valve of the type described in which, after activation of the valve due to high fluid temperature, the valve need not be manually reset, but is reset when the temperature cools to below the activation temperature of the valve.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an economical, easy to use, valve that will close and with increasing temperature and reopen with decreasing temperature.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a safety valve which can be installed within a fluid pipe.